OUT OF HAND is Death/Thrash foursome out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. They formed in the no-so-long-ago of 2018 and had three EPs under their belt before 2020 came to a close, the last of which is an all covers album. On May 7, 2021 they released their debut full-length album, "Exility." The nine-track assault has the lyrical sensibilities of Thrash - dealing with topics such as "personal struggle, overcoming mental anguish, and living in a morally bankrupt world" - cast against the musical brutality of Death.

The album is an all out, relentless incursion of blistering riffs, thundering percussion, and full-throttled bass lines all underscored with savage vocals. There are no ballads, doom tracks, or anything with a bpm less than a Chupacabra on crack. In rare moments when the tempo does slow, the distorted riffs are so saturated and heavy it stills feels like a sonic beatdown. I didn't detect any synthesizers and there are only two short instances of spoken word. These instances sound more like the ramblings of a possessed fiend than any sort of narrative. There are about 20 seconds of effects at the opening of the album, but the following riffs are so fierce that I can't even remotely begin to remember what that intro sounded like.

Standout tracks include "Exordium," a solid instrumental which kicks off the album; "Condemned to Fail," probably the Thrashiest track in the set; and "Creatures in Distress," the final track which also serves up a nasty, nasty bass opener. If your speakers, headsets, or even eardrums have been misbehaving, you can punish them with the title track, "Exility," which slays deep into the red db zone. Joel Rivera's schizophrenic shift from guttural vocals to screeching is also stunning.

A lot of quality Thrash and Death Metal comes out from south of the US. I think there is some sort of principle at play like the hotter the temperature and higher the humidity, the more aggressive the metal. "Exility" is a killer debut with excellent production values, some seriously passionate and pissed off musicians, and enough wrath and vim to fuel a nuclear power plant.